Coin-counting machine



May 13, 1930. c. E. PETERSON COIN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Oct. '7. 1925 6 Sheets-$heet l y 3, 1930; c. E. PETERSON 1,758,057

COIN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 7, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y' Char/es f. Peferson Wall? May 13, 1930. c. E. PETERSON COIN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Oct. '7, 1925 6 SheetsSheet 3 [/1 V/z for Char/e0 1 Pglferson 1 8 11/0 orners- May 13, 1930.

c. E. PETER86N COIN COUNTING MACHINE 6 Shgets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct-7. 1925 May 13, 1930. c. E. PETERSON COIN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 7. 1925 e Sheets-Sheet 5 JPu enfor CAar/ss 5/ 62: man

5 6/1! lifforne mmJw/wm ay 1930- c. E. PETERSON 1,758,057

- I COIN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 7, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented May 13, 1930 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. PETERSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA COIN-COUNTING MACHINE Application filed October 7,1925. Serial No. 60,985.

My invention has for its object to provide anextremely simple and highly efiicient coincounting machine and, generally stated, con sists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

Particularly, this invention relates to that type of coin-counting machine wherein a coincontaining receptacle is provided with a rotating bottom, which, when rotated, frictionally exerts centrifugal force that throws the coins against the walls of the hopper and discharges the same one at a time through a suitable discharge passage.

My invention provides an improved arrangement whereby coin-counting machines of the above indicated character are made of compact form, extremely reliable in action, capable of quick adjustment for the counting of any desired predetermined number of coins or for the continuous counting of coins.

A commercially operative machine is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the coin-counting machine, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a left side elevation of the ma chine; I

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, looking forward; 7

Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation showing the rotary disc-like hopper bottom;

Fig. 9 is a detail in elevation showing the coin-actuated star Wheel and pinion-equipped spindle;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the so-called thickness gauge; 7

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10; r

Fig. 12 is a front edge elevation of the socalled diameter gauge, showing also a portion of the thickness gauge, which is subject to an adjusting cam carried thereby; and

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a combined coin-intercepting finger and guide.

All of the parts of the machine are mounted on a suitable head plate 13 shown as supported by cast legs 14. Mounted on the head plate 13 is a cylindrical hopper or coin container 15 that is provided with a rotary disclike bottom 16 secured to the upper end of an upright spindle 17 and provided with a raised hub 16*. The spindle 17 is journaled in a bearing bracket 18 either cast integral or rigidly secured to one side of the head plate 13. The lower'end of the spindle 17 rests on the laterally bent end of a bearing strap 19, which, by means of screws 20, is rigidly secured to the bracket 18 with freedom for slight vertical adjustments, so that the upper surface of the rotary bottom 16 can be set just at the right level. The spindle 17 is provided with a bevel gear 21 that meshes with a bevel gear 22 secured to the inner end of the shaft 23 mounted in the prongs of a bearing bracket 24; secured to one side of the head plate 13 and depending therefrom. At its outer end, the shaft 23 is shown as provided with an operating crank 25. The shaft 23, at its intermediate portion, carries a spur gear 26 that meshes with a spur gear 27 carried by a short countershaft 28 journaled in the prongs-of abearing bracket 29 that is also rigidly secured to and depends from the head frame 13. At its inner end, the shaft 28 carries an ejecting wheel 30, the peripheral surface of which is preferably knurled or roughened to give the same an increased frictional driving action, for the rejection of coins. The head frame 13 is provided with a slot 31 through which the highest portion of the ejecting wheel projects very slightly above the upper surface of said head frame at a point ust in front of the rotary bottom 16 and at which place the hopper 15 is provided with a peripheral discharge passage 32 (see particularly Figs; 3, (Sand 7). Here it should also be noted that the head frame 13, just in front of the discharge passage 32, is formed or provided with an inclined discharge chute 33 into which the slot 31 is extended so that the upper peripheral portion of the ejecting wheel 30 is exposed for frictional action on the coins.

Under rotation of the hopper bottom 16, the coins will, by centrifugal force, be thrown outward against the cylindrical wall of the hopper and will be frictionally propelled' ina clockwise direct-ion in respect to Fig. 6 and, hence, there is a tendency to throw the same outward through the discharge passage 32. To insure this discharge action by stopping the coins in line therewith, there is provided a coin-intercepting stop, preferably in the form of a curved finger 34 secured to the head plate 13 and projecting into the hopper immediately over the rotary bottom thereof and adjacent to the left-hand extremity of the discharge passage 32, directions being taken in respect to Fig. 6.

This machine is designed to count coins of different dimensions, such as pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars, and, hence, to prevent the coins from getting caught in or clogging the discharge passage, I provide an adjustable diameter gauge and preferably also an adjustable thickness gauge. The diameter 'auge, as shown, is in the form of a flat plate 35 that is slightly thicker than the thickest coin to be counted and by slot and screw connections 36 is fastened to the top of the head plate 13 with freedom for sliding adjustments toward and from the coin-intercepting finger 34, which latter, it will be noted, extends on the head plate 13 outwardly parallel to the adjacent edge of said gauge plate 35.

For adjusting the gauge plate 35 for setting the same in position to gauge the different coins mentioned, I provide a small lever 37 pivoted on a headed screw 38 anchored to the head plate 13. The lever 37 is interlocked for oscillatory movements with an arm 39, the end of which works in a slot 40 formed in the slide 35. A coiled spring 41, compressed between the head of the screw 30 and the base of the lever 37, yieldingly holds the free end of the latter raised, as shown in Fig. 2. Said lever 37, at its free end is provided with a lug 42 that is engageable with any one of several notches formed in a lock segment 43 secured in a raised posit-ion at its ends to bosses 44 on the head plate 13. The very small numerals 10, 1, 5, 25 and 50, marked adjacent to the notches of said segment 43, indicate the denomination of the coin for which the diameter gauge 35 will be set when the lock 42 of the lever 37 is engaged with any one of the several notches. To disengage the lock lug 42 from the segment 43, it is only necessary to depress the free end of the lever 37.

lVorking at one side of the coin-ejecting guideway formed by the stationary finger 34 and the diameter gauge 35, is a coin-counting wheel in the form of a star wheel 45 secured to the lower end of a short vertical shaft or spindle 46, which latter, at its upper end, carries a spur pinion 47. The shaft 46 is journaled in a boss or heavy flange 48 that is projected forward from the front of the hopper 15 and terminates against the adjacent face of the combined intercepting finger and guide 34, said boss being partly broken away in Fig. 6. The star wheel 45 works just below the boss 48 and over the upper surface of the head plate 13. The intercepting finger 34 is notched, as shown at 34% Fig. 13, to clear the star wheel, and the adjacent portion of the hopper 15 is also notched to permit the prongs of the star wheel to run slightly through the same and into close engagement with the periphery of the rotary bottom 16.

The pinion 47 meshes with a large ring gear 49 that quite closely fits around the reduced upper portion of the hopper l5 and rests on a shoulder thereof so that it is free to rotate. This gear 49, by a spacing ring 50 and rivets or other devices, is connected to an annular dial or ring 51'that is graduated and marked preferably with numerals from one to one hundred.

In the construction illustrated, the star wheel 45 has four teeth or projections and, hence, will be given a one-quarter rotation for each coin that is ejected and passed outward between the finger 34 and the gauge plate 35. The dial 51 is so graduated and so related to the ring gear 49 and pinion 47 that it will indicate the number of coins ejected from the machine. From this it, of course, follows that the gear 49 and the dial 51 will be given one complete rotation for each one hundred coin s ejected from the machine. This is a preferred arrangement but may be varied.

The thickness gauge, as preferably designed, comprises a flat yoke 52 that extends with slight clearance through the coin dis charge passage 32 (see particularly Figs. 3 and 6), the outer ends of the prongs thereof being pivoted on a horizontal pin 53, one end of which is inserted into the boss 48 above the star wheel 45 and the other end of which is seated in a bearing bracket 54 secured on the head plate 13. To the inner end of the yoke 52 is secured a horizontally extended gauge strip or blade 55, under which the coins can pass only one at a time or when not piled one on top of the other. To automatically vertically adjust this thickness gauge to the coins for which the diameter gauge plate 35 is set, the latter is shown as provided with a slightly oblique cam flange or surface 56 (see Figs. 6 and 12), on which the laterally bent end 55 of the gauge strip 55 is arranged to rest. Here it should be stated that the coin passage 32 is extended circumferentially so as to clear the gauge plate 35, cam flange 56, and the free end 55 of the gauge strip 55.

As alreadynoted, the coins discharged from the hopper will be delivered on top of the ejecting wheel 30. To insure such driving friction between said ejecting wheel and the coin as will be sure to operate the star wheel 45, there is provided a yielding presser arm 57, which, as shown, is L-shaped and disposed with its free endportion overlying said wheel 30 and slightly projecting through the coinejecting passage 32. The laterally extended portion of the finger 57 is pivoted on a screw 58 applied through a bracket 59 on the head plate 13 and screwed into the lug 48, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The upward movement of the outer end of the presser arm 57 and, consequently, the downward movement of the free end of said arm, are limited by a stop screw 60 applied through the outer end portion of said arm and screwed into the head plate 13. A light coiled spring 61, applied around the screw 60 and interposed between the outer end of the arm 57 and the head plate 13, yieldingly presses the free end portion of said arm down close enough to the upper portion of the wheel 30 to press the thinnest coin to be handled, to wit: a dime, into good frictional engagement with said wheel 30. However, the spring 61 is so light that even a half dollar may be readily passed on tle wheel 30 under the free end of said arm 5 The machine so far described will count coins continuously or as long as the machine is operated and the coins are not all discharged from the hopper. Moreover, the annular dial and ring gear may be freely rotated so that the dial can, at any time, be set back to its zero position. To facilitate such movements of the dial to zero position, it is shown as provided with a projecting finger piece 62 (see Figs. 1 and 5).

It is not desirable that all of thefigures on the dial 51 should be visible and, hence, the hopper 15 is provided with an outstanding annular rim 63 that covers the dial except at the reading point, where it is provided with a notch 64 through which may be viewed one index mark at one time. Of course, when the dial is set at zero, the zero mark will be visible through the notch or sight opening 64, as shown in Fig. 1, in which view the outstanding flange 63 is shown only in part, being mostly broken away. Preferably also, the flange 63 is contracted at its upper portion.

To register hundreds or amounts above one hundred and up to one thousand, in case the machine is used for continuous counting, I provide a carrying device in the form of a carrying wheel 65 having ten teeth and marked with the ten digits 0 to 9. This carrying wheel 65 is mounted on a stud 66, which, at its lower end, is seated in the boss 48. The numeral 67 indicates a leaf spring attached to the boss 48 and yieldingly pressing the teeth of the wheel 65 to prevent accidental rotation thereof. For operating the carrying wheel 65, the dial 51 (see Figs. 1 and 5), is provided with a depending driving lug 68, which, once for each complete rotation of said dial and by that step of movement that brings the dial to the Zero position in a counterclockwise direction in respect to Fig. 1, engages a tooth of the carrying wheel 65 and imparts one step of movement thereto, thus carrying the hundreds onto said carrying wheel.

As an important feature of this invention, there is provided an adjustable automatic coin cut-off device including a gate, which, when the predetermined desired number of coins have been ejected and counted, will automatically stop further discharge of coins. This gate proper, as shown, is a U-shaped member 69 formed on the end of a segmental slide 70 (see particularly Figs. 1, 6 and 7). Said slide 70 (see particularly Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7), is placed upon an upstanding segmental flange 71 of the head plate 13 and is connected thereto for limited circumferential sliding movements by slot and pinconnections 72. The gate-acting end 69 is projected through the coin passage 32 and its downturned free end lies close to the upper surface of the rotary bottom 16 and normally stands at the left of the coin-intercepting finger 34. The said gate 69 is bent in the form shown, so that it will clear and work through the notch 34 of the intercepting finger 34. In Fig. 6, however, the said gate is shown as moved to the right and, hence, in a position to stop further ejection of coins.

Extreme movement of the slide 70 in a clockwise direction in respect to Fig. 6 is limited to a position in which the gate 69 will be in an open or coin-discharging position, by engagement of a depressed end 70 of the slide 70 against the adjacent end of the supporting flange 71 (see Fig. 4). Slidable on the segmental slide 70 is an adjustable trip head 73'provided with a spring-pressed lock dog 74 adapted to engage with any of several notches 75 formed, in the outer edge of the slide 70. The small numerals, Fig. 6 marked adjacent to the said notches, indicate the number of coins that will be ejected before the gate will be tripped and moved to a gate closing position. The trip head 73 has an upstanding stop lug 76, (see Figs. 4 and 6) which, when the predeterminednumber of coins have beenejected, will be engaged by a lug 77 (see Fig. 3), that depends from the ring gear 49. "When the predetermined num ber of coins for which the device has been set have been ejected, the lug 77, by movement in a counterclockwise direction, will engage the stop lug 76 of the trip head 73 and move the slide 70 so as to carry the gate 69 into a position to close the gate or cut off further discharge of coins.

Mounted on the outer end of the slide 70 is an upwardly spring-pressed dog or member 78 that loosely engages the under side of the ring gear 49 and is arranged to be engaged by a depending lug 79 shown as on the under side of the ring gear 49. This lug 7 9 will engage the dog 78 and move the slide soas' to force the gate 69 into an open position or normal position each time that the dial 51 is turned backward in a clockwise direction to zero position. This insures resetting of the gate for the discharge of coins after each counting operation.

By reference to Fig. 6, it will be noted that the extreme outer end of the segmental slide 70 is radially offset so that, when the rear end of the trip head 73 is moved onto said offset portion, the stop lug 76 will be moved radially outward so that it will not be engaged by the trip lug 77 of the ring gear 49. This sets the device for continuous counting. The slide 70, at its offset end, is shown as provided with a notch with which the dog 74 may be engaged to hold the trip heat 73 in its inoperative position just noted.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent or" the United States is:

1. In a coin-counting machine, an orifice through which coins are passed to be counted, means for delivering coins to said orifice, a gate member for said orifice, a registering member having indicia thereupon moved by the passage of coins through said orifice, means associated with said latter member for closing said gate when a predetermined number of coins has been passed, said latter means comprising a'stop on said gate member and a projection carried by said registering member for engaging said stop to close said gate.

2. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, an annular member rotatively mounted around said hopper and comprising an annular gear and an annular dial, means for discharging the coins through said discharge passage one at a time, a star wheel subject to the action of discharged coins, and a pinion driven by said star wheel and engaging said annular gear to move said annular dial one step for each coin discharged.

3. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, means for discharging the coins through said discharge passage one at a time, an annular member including an annular gear and an annular graduated dial mounted for rotary movements around said hopper, a gate cooperating with said discharge passage, and means carried by said annular member operative to move said gate to a position to stop the discharge of coins, when said annular member has been given a predetermined number of steps of movement.

4. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, means for discharging the coins through saiddischarge passage one at a time, an annular member including an annular gear and an annular graduated dial mounted for rotary movements on said hopper, a device located adjacent said discharge passage and arranged to be given one step of movement for each coin discharged and to impart such step oi movement to said annular member, a gate cooperating with said discharge passage, and means whereby upon predetermined movement of said annular member said gate will be moved in position to stop the discharge of coins through said discharge passage.

5. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, means for discharging the coins through said discharge passage one at a time, an annular member including an annular gear and an annular graduated dial mounted for rotary movements on said hopper, a device located adjacent said discharge passage and arranged to be given one step of movement for each coin dischai ed and to impart such step of movement to said annular member, a segmental slice mounted to move circumferentialiy at the exterior of said hopper and proat one end with a gate cooperating with d discharge passage, and cooperating ele- 'ients on said annular member and slide whereby when said annular member is given a predetermined number of steps of movement, said gate will be moved to a position to stop further discharge of coins through said discharge passage.

6. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having an orifice through which coins are passed to be counted, a gate member for said rifice, a registering member having indicia thereupon moved by the passage of coins through said orifice, means for closing said gate when a predetermined number of coins have passed, and comprising a stop slida-bly and adjustably mounted on said gate member, an d a projection on said registering me1nber engageable with said stop to close said gate.

7. In acoin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, an annular member rotatively mounted around saidhopper and comprising an annular gear and an annular dial, means for discharging coins through said discharge passage one at a time, a star wheel subject to the action of discharge coins, and a pinion driven by said star wheel and engaging said annular gear to move said annular dial one step for each coin discharged in further combination with a gate cooperating with said discharge passage, and means whereby predetermined movements of said annular gear and dial will move said gate and cause the same to stop the discharge of coins through said discharge passage.

8. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, an annular member rotatively mounted around said hopper and comprising an annular gear and an annular dial, means for discharging coins through said discharge passage one at a time, a star wheel subject to the action of discharge coins, and a pinion driven by said star wheel and engaging said annular gear to move said annular dial one step for each coin discharged in further combination with a segmental slide movable around the exterior of said hopper and provided at one end with a gate cooperating with said discharge passage, and means whereby predetermined movements of said annular gear and dial will move said slide and cause said gate to stop the discharge of coins through said discharge passage.

9. In a coin-counting machine, a hopper having a peripheral discharge passage, means for discharging coins through said discharge passage one at a time, an annular member including an annular dial mounted for rotary movements around said hopper, a device located adjacent said discharge passage and arranged to be given one step of movement for each coin discharged and to impart such step by step movement to said annular memher, a gate cooperating with said discharge passage, and means whereby upon predetermined movements of said annular member said gate will be moved to a position to stop the discharge of coins through said discharge passage, said actuating means between said annular member and gate including an adjustable stop for varying the predetermined movements required to move said gate into a closed position.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

CHARLES E. PETERSON. 

